


Dog Days are Over

by VolsungartheMighty



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Apologies, Curses, Forgiveness, Liam is a literal puppy, Light Angst, M/M, Pack Bonding, The pack is turned into dogs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-17
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-06-28 22:50:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15716709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VolsungartheMighty/pseuds/VolsungartheMighty
Summary: When Theo is woken one Saturday morning by a call from Melissa, he is not expecting to be ordered over to the McCall residence... nor is he expecting to find that the members of the McCall pack had been turned into dogs, or to have his past laid bare.





	1. Phone Calls and Forgiveness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [offbrandgizmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/offbrandgizmo/gifts).



> This is for Kian, who prompted this slightly... and my mind just went nuts with this, so...

_We stand and fight until the end_

_Turn your demons into shadows (into shadows)_

_We shall exhaust all that you fight_

_Fight your demons now_

_We’ve got no other way than to hide (your darkest side)_

Theo groaned as his phone pulled him from his sleep, a hand reaching out of the covers of his blanket cocoon to grab the phone, blindly swiping to answer before bringing the offending device to his ear.

“Hello?” he asked groggily, eyes still closed, because he apparently hadn’t shut the blinds the night before and now his room was lit up with morning light.

“Oh thank god, Theo, you’re okay” Melissa’s voice crackled down the line. He heard her sigh in relief but was confused when he heard the sound of claws on wood.

“What’s wrong Melissa?” Theo asked, twisting his way out of the cocoon he’d gotten himself in.

“Why does anything have to be wrong for me to call you?” Melissa asked, and Theo noticed she seemed slightly exasperated, and a little tired.

“Because the only reason you would call me wold be if there was a problem, and you’d never ask I f I was okay unless…” Theo trailed off, sitting up suddenly. “What the fuck have they done this time?”

Melissa sighed, and a chorus of barks echoed down the line. Theo cocked his head in curiosity but waited for Melissa to answer.

“It’s… probably easier if you get here and see for yourself” Melissa said, and Theo heard her getting up and walking around. “I’ll see you in a half an hour?”

It wasn’t a question, and Theo found himself agreeing, quickly hanging up and untangling his feet from the mess of blankets he was still under.

Breakfast was a quick affair of buttered toast, before he had a quick shower to freshen himself up and he was out the door, hopping in his truck and driving to the McCall residence.

The first thing he noticed when he stepped out of the car was the sound of barking, which he found odd. He hadn’t known that Melissa had gotten a dog. Admittedly, he avoided pack nights like the plague, so he wouldn’t have known if she had gotten one or not. But the barking wasn’t just one dog. It was multiple dogs, and he could point out at least four, maybe five different barks.

He strolled up the walk, knocking on the door hard, enough to be heard over the barking of the dogs. The clatter of claws on wood was heard, before more barking echoed through the wood, and Melissa’s shouts were, miraculously, heard over the clamour.

The door opened, and Theo was shocked to find Melissa standing there in her pyjama’s, surrounded by a hoard of, after a quick head count, no less than _eight_ dogs, all of different breeds and sizes.

“I didn’t know you’d started a half way home for dogs Melissa” Theo said, before he could think.

Melissa frowned, but motioned Theo inside, the hoard of dogs immediately jumping up at him, all of them trying to get his attention, tripping him over as they weaved in and out of his legs.

“I’m not starting a halfway home” Melissa said as she guided him through the house and into the kitchen. “All I know is that… this is the pack.”

Theo eyed her for a moment, trying to hold in a laugh, but he was unable to stop himself. He couldn’t help but laugh as Melissa glared at him, and he had to reach over to grab the counter to steady himself.

“I’m being very serious about this Theo” Melissa said, crossing her arms over her chest as she tapped her foot against the floor. “They came in after a night of getting drunk and looking for you, woke me up while they did, and when I woke up this morning… all these dogs were here.”

“That… what? How could you think that?” Theo asked, looking down at the dogs.

But as he thought about it, the dogs seemed to be… familiar almost. The golden retriever with the goofy grin was clearly Scott, the black Labrador was mason. The chihuahua was clearly Stiles, small and annoying and a pain in the ass, while the pit bull simply glared at him, much like Derek would. The mutt must have been Corey, his gut instinct kicking in to simply _ignore_ the dog, but he fought to keep his eyes locked with it. The goofy husky puppy was Nolan, a wide grin on his face as he sat there, looking around him as if something were off, and the Great Dane plastered to his side _had_ to be none other than Brett,

But a tugging at the hem of his jeans drew his attention away from rest, to an adorable rottweiler puppy attacking the leg of his pants. He couldn’t help but smile when he realised that this had to be Liam, leaning down to pick him up and cuddle him to his chest. A low growl emanated from the chihuahua, but a bark from the pit bull shut him up.

“So, what happened?” Theo asked, cooing as the puppy in his arms quietened down a little, snuggling into his chest.

“I don’t know” Melissa said, making her way through the kitchen, pulling out bacon and eggs. “Would you like something to eat?” Theo hesitantly nodded, and she pulled out extra, shutting the fridge with her hip, before setting everything out on the counter, before turning back to Theo. “There was a pack night last night, that’s as much as I know. Clearly you weren’t there, because I got a text from Scott telling me they probably wouldn’t be here when I got back from work because they were looking for you. Why weren’t you there last night, anyway?”

Theo sat down on the barstool behind the counter as Melissa set about pulling out a pan, pouring oil into it as she whisked up eggs, pouring in bacon, onion and some milk, before pouring the mixture into the pan.

“I… well, I tend to avoid pack nights” Theo began hesitantly, turning to glare at the pack of dogs behind him. “Despite everything I’ve done to prove otherwise, most of them prefer to treat me like shit. So… I typically make sure I have work on when there is a pack night.”

“You have a job?” Melissa asked, looking up from the pan curiously, turning back quickly so she didn’t burn the eggs. She mixed the eggs for a few seconds, before moving to put some bread in the toaster.

Theo turned to look at the dogs behind him, all of them looking up at him expectantly, sighing as he turned back to Melissa, giving Liam a scratch behind the ears. “I work at Sinema as the barman most nights. And… if someone pays me enough, I might get up on stage and dance, but that doesn’t happen often.”

Melissa nodded as she pulled out some plates, spooning out some of the scrambled eggs and then moving to grab the toast as it popped, placing the slices on the plate and buttering them, before picking up one of the plates and putting it down in front of Theo, along with a knife and fork.

“You may want to put him down if you want to eat” Melissa said with a grin, motioning to Theo, still cradling Liam against his chest. The puppy yawned widely, before snuggling in even closer to Theo. “Or maybe not” Melissa said with a smile.

Theo picked up his fork a shovelled a forkful of the eggs into his mouth, moaning as the fluffy combination of egg, bacon and onion hit his tongue. He quickly chewed on what was in his mouth, swallowing it down and shoving another forkful of eggs into his mouth.

“Woah, when was the last time you ate a proper meal” Melissa asked with a laugh, and Theo froze, fork halfway to his mouth still piled with eggs. He slowly lowered his fork, swallowing the mouthful of eggs thickly as he thought.

“I… can’t remember when that was” Theo said quietly, his appetite suddenly gone.

Melissa frowned as Theo pushed the plate away, her arms crossed as he looked up at her. “Theo Raeken” she asked, tone firm as she waved the spatula at him. “When was the last time you ate a proper meal?”

He sighed as he stood from the table, pushing the barstool back into place as he lowered Liam to the ground, his heart breaking at the low whine the puppy let out. “Please, don’t fake your concern for me Melissa. I know you can’t stand me, and it’s better if you just… don’t try to help.”

He turned to leave but found himself being stared down by the pack of dogs, all of them growling at him lightly, hackles raised. He turned back to Melissa, who was frowning at him, but her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

“I know what you did to my son was…” she bit her lip to stop it from trembling, inhaling sharply as she steadied herself. “What you did to Scott was… unforgivable. But… you’re a better person now. I remember what you were like when you were younger and… seeing what the dread doctors did to you was like a punch to the gut. You were so sweet back then, and I can’t imagine what they did to you and what you went through.”

“It would be better if you didn’t try to imagine it” Theo whispered, but he didn’t move from his spot. He’d been listening to her heart beat the whole time, and not once had it jumped to indicate a lie. He moved back to the barstool, leaning down to pick up the still whining Liam and cuddling him to his chest as he sat. “The last time I ate a proper meal like this was… probably before I went to hell.”

“But that was…” Melissa began, her jaw snapping shut with a loud _click_. “That was over a year ago” she whispered, her voice trembling. “What on earth have you been eating?”

Theo shrugged as he pulled the plate of cold eggs towards him, spooning some into his mouth, grimacing at the cold texture. He pushed the plate away again before he spoke. “Hash browns and muffins from McDonalds. I qualify for free lunches at the school, so I get a decent meal there… and I usually get McDonalds for dinner again, provided by work.”

“But… how are you in such good shape, if all you eat is junk?” Melissa asked, eye’s running up and down Theo’s torso.

Theo smirked, shaking his head. “The gym at school is free to use for students, even on weekends. I just… spend most of my free time there, burning off all of the junk I eat.”

Before he could do anything to react, Melissa had rounded the counter and was pulling Theo into a hug. He froze, not knowing how to react, but as Melissa continued to hold him he just… melted into her hold, enjoying the safety of her hold.

A tinkling laugh filled the room, one that sounded… oddly familiar, as a warm light filled the room, glowing as if from nowhere, growing to such an intensity that Theo had to squeeze his eyes shut to stop himself from being blinded. When the glow behind his eyelids finally died down, he slowly blinked his eyes open, turning in his seat to look around the room.

Everything was the same, and all of the dogs were there… except Scott. He’d just… disappeared from where he had been sitting. Theo reached out with his senses, searching the house, and quickly found the familiar heartbeat of the alpha up in his room, the sounds of bare feet on floorboards telling him Scott was on his way down.

Theo pulled himself away from Melissa’s hold, visibly stiffening as the alpha made his way down the stairs, running down them and coming to a dead stop at the foot of the stairs, staring at Theo as he held Liam against his chest.

“I… I guess I’ll be going then” Theo said, standing again and moving to put Liam down again, but Scott was quick to walk towards him, a hand held out, but he stopped as Theo flinched away from him.

Scott hesitantly lowered his hand, a hurt look to his face, but something akin to hope flashing through his eyes.

“I can’t speak for everyone else Theo” Scott began, standing there as he rubbed his arm nervously, his eyes flicking between the dogs sitting around the three of them, to Melissa and then back to Theo. “But… I forgive you for what you did to me. I don’t know how much of that was you and how much of it was the dread doctors, but… I’ve been too harsh on you. And… I’d like to apologise for sending you to hell. That was never a part of the plan. Kira just… showed up and sent you to hell, and I know I should have done something but… I’m sorry for what we… what _my_ inaction has done to you. And I hope you can manage to forgive me, in the future.”

Theo smiled, one of the first, genuine smiles he had had in… literal years as he looked at the alpha. “I forgive you Scott. And again, I am so sorry for what I did to you, and I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, so thank you.”

Scott smiled, warm and genuine as he stepped forward, pulling Theo into a warm hug, and this time, Theo didn’t flinch as the alpha moved towards him.


	2. Chapter 2

When Scott pulled back, he was still smiling at Theo, a warm feeling filling the chimera’s chest. If this was what it felt like to be _good_ , to be forgiven for his past mistakes, he wanted to be as good as he possibly could from now on.

Melissa was shuffling around the kitchen, tossing out the cold eggs left on Theo’s plate and pouring more into the pan, facing the two boys as she waited for the eggs to cook again.

“So, what are you going to do now?” She asked, eyebrow arched in question. “And what did you get up to last night for all of… this to happen?” She asked, waving her spatula in the direction of the dogs.

“I was thinking we should go to Deaton, and get him to help us out” Scott said, sitting down on the stool next to Theo. “But, for that last one… I’m not too sure, my memories a little fuzzy from last night.”

“Melissa said you were looking for me” Theo said, still cradling Liam in his arms. He gave the puppy a scratch behind the ears when he elicited a little whine but quieted down soon after.

“Yeah, I remember that” Scott said, nodding. “Stiles was pissed that you hadn’t shown up to again. I told him that you weren’t obligated to come, but he kept ranting on about how you were evil and shouldn’t be allowed anywhere on your own.”

Theo nodded along with Scott. “Sounds about right for Stiles” he muttered darkly. When Scott turned to him inquisitively, and eyebrow arched, he elaborated, “I’m guessing he didn’t tell you he’s stopped me from skipping town. Multiple times.”

Scott’s other eyebrow joined its twin as he turned in his seat to glare at Stiles, who backed away with a whimper. “Has he now?” He asked, a growl to his voice. “He neglected to tell me that.”

“Aha, and each time he got the sheriffs station involved” Theo said, smiling at Melissa as she silently placed a fresh plate before him, muttering a silent thank you. “Each time he’d been with them, and each time he’s told me exactly the same thing. That he could always put me back in the ground if I were to be ‘too evil’ for his liking, and that I should be happy I’m back at all.”

“Oh really?” Scott asked, dragging out the words. “He and I will be having a very long talk when he’s human again.”

Theo didn’t know why he was telling Scott all this, even though it was true. He didn’t _want_ to tear the pack apart this time around. He just wanted Scott to understand that he wasn’t the only person in the wrong here.

“Don’t worry about it Scott” Theo said with a sigh, shovelling a fresh forkful of eggs into his mouth, groaning again at the taste. “These are amazing Melissa” he said once he’d swallowed, his heart warming at the wide smile she sent his way. He turned back to face Scott. “He’ll just hate me even more if you go off at him because I told you.”

Scott sighed, nodding. “Yeah, your right” he said, taking a bite of his eggs. “As much as I’d like to believe otherwise, you have a point.”

“Well this is good and all” Melissa said, clapping her hands together. “I’ve got to go to work in a couple of hours, so I can’t stay here and look after the pack. So… what are we gonna do?”

Theo looked between the mother and son, biting into the slice of toast on his plate. “I could look after them” he said, pulling his phone out and checking the date. “I don’t have work until Tuesday, and it’s Sunday now… so I could look after them until Tuesday morning, before I go in to work at four.”

Scott nodded, standing from the barstool. “And I can look after them until your next day off while we sort this out” he said, and Theo nodded in agreement. “Good, so then…” he trailed off, looking around at the other dogs. “How are we going to get them all to Deaton’s?”

***

Theo was a firm believer in Occam’s Razor, and decided to go with the simplest solution. He put the smallest of the pack, Liam, Nolan, Stiles and Derek, in the back seat of his truck, while he put the larger members, Brett, Mason and Corey, in the bed of the truck, after tying some loose ropes around their necks and tying them to a bar, so they couldn’t jump out.

It was a rather easy drive as Theo drove him, Scott and the other members of the pack to Deaton’s clinic, the two men talking as if the past few years of their lives had never happened. And Theo supposed, it might as well not have, the familiarity and camaraderie he and Scott had shared as kids easily settling back into place.

Despite it being a Sunday, Deaton was outside waiting for them when they arrived, a grim look on his face.

“What’s gone wrong this time?” The man asked, an eyebrow raised in question. Theo and Scott motioned towards the back of the truck, where the other members of the pack were trying to get a look at the three of them. Theo had to stifle a laugh as he noticed Stiles standing on Derek’s back to see out the window. “I see… well, let’s get them inside, shall we?”

It took a while, trying to get the pack inside. Theo figured their canine instincts were taking over, as they wanted to just run around the parking lot, chasing each other and playing. In the end, Scott had run inside the clinic and grabbed some treats they gave to the animal’s staying overnight, getting the pack’s attention and bribing them inside the clinic.

“So what happened?” Deaton asked once they were inside, glancing between Scot and Theo, to the dogs at their feet and back again.

“Well, we went out drinking last night” Scott said, scratching his arm. “We had a pack night, and Theo wasn’t there, so Stiles convinced us to go looking for him. We… might have gotten a little drunk, maybe even rowdy. I… cant remember much of what happened after we left the Jungle. It’s all a little fuzzy. Next thing I know, we’ve all woken up as a pack of dogs, and mum is calling Theo for help.”

“I see” Deaton said with a nod, leaning down and picking up Nolan and placing him on the operating table. He put the stethoscope in his ears, checking Nolan’s heart rate and breathing. “He seems okay.” Deaton said, running a hand down Nolan’s back.

Theo only just noticed that they all had collars on, having not been paying much attention as he’d asked Melissa what had gone on, and then the whole heart to heart he and Scott had had. But… something seemed off. He leaned forward, running his fingers underneath the red leather of the collar, letting out a hum of surprise when he found something stuck underneath. He pulled it out, but immediately dropped it to the operating table, taking a few steps back in shock.

“What, what is it?” Scott asked, at the same time Deaton calmly asked, “What did you find?”

“H-hex bag” Theo stuttered out, arms held up in defence.

It was a simple thing, a square piece of velvet tied shut with some twine. He could see a pentagram stitched into the side in red, bright and angry against the black material of the bag.

Deaton slipped on a pair of gloves before he moved around the table, picking up the bag hesitantly and undoing the twine that held the bag shut. Theo and Scott moved to stand beside Deaton as the bag fell open, revealing the contents within. It wasn’t much, a sprig of jasmine and rosemary, a few small bones that looked like they belonged to a bird. A few trimmings of hair were what was left in the bag.

“Actually, this is a putsi bag” Deaton said, shifting the contents of the bag around. “A hex bag is used to kill, or injure a victim, while a putsi bag is used to lay curses on the victim. Usually something harmless, to teach a lesson. And unlike a hex bag, the curse isn’t lifted if the bag is burned. The conditions of the curse need to be met for it to be lifted.”

“But, we don’t know what the curse is” Scott said, pouting as he looked at the other dogs.

Theo’s mind was still reeling though. A familiar scent had arisen from the open bag, one of earth and other herbs mixed with the jasmine and rosemary. And it belonged to someone he knew well.

“I think I might know who placed the curse” he said tentatively, earning shocked looks from the other two.

“Who?” Scott asked, but Theo shook his head.

“I think… I think it would be better if I were to show you” Theo said. Scott went to say something, but stopped himself, mouth closing with a soft click before he nodded. Theo sighed, thankful that Scott would trust him enough to do this.

“So, where do we need to go?” Scott asked instead.

“We need to go into the preserve” Theo said, looking down at the dogs beside him. “We’ll need to get them back in the truck it seems.”

***

The drive was longer this time, silent as Theo drove towards the preserve, thankful his truck was a four-wheel drive as he turned off the main road and onto the dirt track, heading deep into the preserve. He glanced over to Scott, who looked nervous about being this far in the preserve.

“Is everything okay Scott?” Theo asked, looking back at the barely there path they were taking. “You do know that I’m not going to kill you, right?”

Scott chuckled at that, some of the tension easing from his body. “Yeah, I know” he said softly, and Theo felt himself relaxing, knowing he wasn’t the source of Scott’s unease. “I… just haven’t been this far into the preserve since the night I was bitten. It just… it’s a little unnerving, being back out here is all.”

“Uh huh” Theo said, nodding. He glanced over at Scott, thinking something through, before he spoke. “If it helps, I still get nervous whenever I go into the tunnels. Or where It’s dark and cramped.”

Scott turned to face him, a look of surprise on his face. “Is it… because of us sending you to Hell?” he asked, tentatively.

“A little” Theo said with a nod, clearing his throat. “At least, that’s where the claustrophobia and fear of the dark comes from.” He shook his head but continued. “The tunnels… they hold a lot of bad memories. I did a lot that I’m not happy about, that I’m guilty over. But… what the Dread Doctors did to me… it wasn’t pleasant.”

“How so?” Scott asked quietly. He seemed curious, but Theo also knew he wasn’t one to push for more information.

“Let’s just say, they weren’t fond of using anaesthesia” Theo said with a shudder. “When they gave me Tara’s heart… imagine, all the bones in your chest being broken so they can rip out your heart. Imagine laying there as you slowly die cause the blood is no longer pumping through your veins. It… wasn’t a joyful experience. And then they did all these experiments on me, trying to ‘improve’ me… My time in the tunnels was not pleasant. I hated it there.”

“I’m sorry you had to go through that” Scott said, reaching out hesitantly, and when Theo didn’t flinch away, he placed a supportive hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. “If you ever need to talk about it, just know that I’m free to talk.” He looked down in his lap, where Liam was curled up and sleeping, scratching the puppy behind the ears. “I’m sure Liam here would be able to help you too. I… didn’t bit him under the best of circumstances, and I know he still has nightmares about the Beserkers.”

Theo nodded, but didn’t look away from the path the truck was on, coming to a stop a few minutes later. He killed the ignition and opened the door, stepping out. “We have to walk from here. The path is too narrow to go any further in the truck.”

Scott nodded, lightly stepping out, still holding Liam, opening the back door to let the others out of the back, while Theo pulled down the back of the truck, letting the bigger pack members jump off the bed.

It was a slow walk, one that Theo wasn’t liking. Admittedly, it mainly had to do with the other pack members, who were making it difficult as they ran through the undergrowth. Scott had to flash his eyes at them to quieten them down, and they’d stroll alongside the two humans for another coupld metres before they were off again. The other reason was that… this was one secret he’d kept, no matter how close he’d gotten to the younger pack members.

A few moments later, they came across a stretch of branches blocking their path, studded with flowers that seemed to glow in the gloom of the preserve. Scott went to brush them aside, but Theo stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. When Scott looked at him, he simply shook his head.

“That’s not how this works Scott” he said softly. “She… doesn’t take too kindly to visitors.”

He moved forward, knocking on a trunk just to the side, where the branches blocking the path came from. A hollow sound echoed through the preserve as he knocked on it, quick and sharp. A familiar laugh echoed from beyond the branches, before a familiar voice called out, “Is that you Theo?”

“Yes, it’s me” he called out, a familiar warmth filling him. He was… happy, as he always was when he visited her. He frowned though, turning to Scott. “I… I also brought guests.”

“It’s about time too” the voice replied with a laugh, before the branches moved aside, shrinking into the trunks of the tree’s. “Well, what are you waiting for? Come on.”

Theo took a deep breath, stepping beyond the two trunks the branches had shrunk back into. It felt like walking through jelly, the air difficult to walk through, before he was on the other side, breathing in deep, gasping breaths. A shocked sound from Scott told him he was no longer visible.

“Hold your breath and just walk through” he called back. The other pack members started to walk through the barrier, but Scott remained on the other side.

Sighing, Theo held his breath, pushing his head and torso through the barrier. A shocked gasp from Scott told him all he needed to know. He looked down at himself, chuckling lightly. His torso seemed to be hovering in mid-air, the air around is waist rippling as if like water.

“What… what just happened? Where did everyone go?” Scott asked, trying to take a step back, but Theo shot an arm out, gripping Scott tightly by the wrist.

“Trust me Scott, they’re safe. Now, do you want to come through or not?” he asked, smiling when Scott nodded his head. “Good, now hold your breath.”

Scott took a deep breath, holding it in, as Theo pulled him through. It was a little harder this time, pulling someone else through the barrier as well as himself, but he did it, gasping and panting with the effort it took to pull them both through, falling backward on his ass and laying down as he caught his breath.

“Well, wouldn’t you know it, you’ve come to visit me” the voice said, and Theo opened his eyes, smiling up at the woman standing over him, her hands on her hips as she glared down at him. “It’s about fucking time.”

“I know, I know” Theo said, rolling over at standing up slowly, smiling down at the slightly shorter woman. “I’m sorry, shit’s been busy.”

“I know what it’s like” she said with a nod, before holding her arms out. “Now, come and give you sister a hug.”

Theo willingly went, pulling Tara into a firm hug, careful not to squeeze her too tightly. He done it before, once, when he’d still been getting used to the enhanced strength his chimera status gave him. She still had a limp, from where her hip had broken.

“Wait… he’s your brother” Scott asked, an innocent look on his face as he tried to figure out what was going on. “But that would mean… your Tara? Tara Raeken, right?”

Tara beamed at Scott, doing a little curtsy in her plain grey dress. “That would be me” she said, her smile slowly turning into a frown as she looked between the curious look on Scott’s face, and the sheepish look on Theo’s. “What… what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing” Theo said, at the same time Scott said, “We thought you were dead.”

Silence filled the clearing, before Tara burst into laughter, clutching on to Theo as she laughed. The laughter quickly turned into a hacking cough that had her shaking, pressing her head into Theo’s shoulder as he rubbed her arms, black veins running up his arms as he took her pain.

“What did you tell them Theo?” She asked, her voice rough from the coughing fit.

“He said he killed you for your heart” Scott said, jumping in. “At least, that’s what I’ve been told.”

“I’m guessing it’s another thing Stiles has told you” Theo said with a sigh. “He accused me of killing Tara, and since he was so obsessed with his view being the right one, I admitted I did it. And of course, he believed me.”

“But… he said you killed her for her heart” Scott said, looking between the two siblings curiously.

“Oh… he’s got my heart alright” Tara said, nodding, pulling the collar of her dress down to show the beginnings of a scar right down the middle of her chest. “He only pushed me into that river because the Dread Doctors promised him I would survive the procedure. And I did, if barely. But when they realised I wouldn’t survive to become a chimera, well…”

“I got her out” Theo said softly. “I told them I killed her myself, and they believed me.”

“So then… what are you? You’re not a chimera, and you’re not human” Scott asked.

“I’m a witch” she said simply, holding her hand out. A pool of glowing, green energy pooled in her palm, overflowing and falling to the ground. The ground at their feet, bare of vegetation, began to spring to life, grass and wildflowers and other vegetation appearing at their feet. “Specifically, I’m an earth witch. I have a deep connection with animals and plants and can make life appear where there was none.”

Scott nodded his head but looked around them. The clearing was large, open to the elements, surrounded by the preserve on all sides, and back up onto the mountain that overlooked Beacon Hill’s. What looked to be a small cluster of trees turned out to be a cabin, the branches interlocking and weaving together to provide a water proof roof, the leaves providing excellent shade across the small clearing. A few animals, a few pigs, a goat and a sheep, grazed along the grass, while in a small fenced off section was a garden, blooming with fruits and vegetables.

“So… why have you been out here for so long?” Scott asked, looking around the clearing. “If you were still alive, you could have gone back to school. You could have had friends, a life.”

“But I did” Tara said with a smile. “Besides, my magic was only just developing when Theo and I had our hearts switched, so it was safer to be no where near other people. Plus, with our parents killed by the Dread Doctors, and them thinking I was dead, it was better living out here on my own. Theo always came out here to visit as often as possible, bringing books and food when he could. He’s… always been there for me, even though I haven’t always been there for him…”

She wiped at her eyes, and Theo pulled her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head lightly, smiling. She pulled away, wiping away a few stray tears, before she smiled again.

“So, what is it that you came here for?” She asked, clapping her hands together.

But before either of the two men could speak, a faint glow filled the clearing, the laugh absent this time. All three of them had to close their eye’s as the light grew in intensity, until it was suddenly gone, the clearing lit only by the faint light of the sun.

Theo looked around, counting the heads of the dogs, noticing that the Pitbull had disappeared. He heard Tara mutter a soft “oh, that’s why” as he looked around the clearing, looking for Derek.

The older werewolf pushed the door to Tara’s cabin open tentatively, looking around the clearing, as if he were looking for someone. When he spotted Theo, he smiled softly, strolling through the clearing, dodging the pigs and other pack members as he came over. Theo felt himself tensing the closer Derek got to him, but a comforting hand on his arm had him looking to the side, seeing Tara standing beside him.

Once Derek stood in front of him, he smiled softly, something Theo had never seen directed at him from the usually gruff man. He seemed nervous, and it made Theo nervous too, wondering what he was going to say.

“I… I’d like to apologise for how I’ve treated you Theo” he said softly, looking down at his feet. “I know what it was like, being treated like shit by Scott and Stiles, being framed for my sister’s murder. I never bothered to hear things from your point of view, only listening to Stiles. He’s… well, he’s normally a good judge of character, and while I believe he was right to distrust you when you first came back to Beacon Hill’s, from what Liam’s told me… you’ve proven you’re a better person, capable of doing something good.

“Plus… if what Stiles told me really was true, you would never have lied about killing Tara to the Dread Doctors. You’re a better person than I was led to believe, and I’m sorry for ever thinking that” Derek said, holding his hand out to Theo. “Would it be safe to say we could get to know each other properly in the future, maybe over some coffee?”

Theo smiled, taking Derek’s hand in his own and shaking it. “I certainly wouldn’t say no to that” he said, that now familiar warmth filling his heart as Derek smiled back at him.


End file.
